Room to Breathe
by pearls1990
Summary: A study in first person about the relationship between Miles and Phoenix.
1. Innocence is Brilliant

The pain and emptiness of losing someone, especially your best friend, never really goes away. As children we are told that death is final and we will never see those who have passed, ever again. That being said, I had to reevaluate my life at age five when my grandfather passed away. I told my mom that I wanted a cat and that it would live forever. She smiled her beautiful smile and two days later I had a small gray kitten that I was to take care of. All of this, however, did not prepare me for what happened later in my life. But I'll get to that. My name is Phoenix Wright and this is how I dealt with the 'death' of a very good friend...and lover.

It all started when I turned eight in late March of 2000. My parents bought me a bike, and because I was a fast learner, the training wheels came off a month later. There were no limits after that and my good friend, Larry Butz and I were constantly testing any boundaries that came our way. Occasionally our antics included one Miles Edgeworth. He was an unusual boy, kept to himself at school, but after school he would run around with us, causing quiet havoc throughout the neighborhood. We would walk to school together and most of the time the three of us were a force to be reckoned with.

That summer marked the first of many lessons of losing someone precious in my life. I knew my mother and father were not happy; they hadn't been happy in several years. It started with the occasional fights, but I remember there used to be more happy times than down times. Somehow it escalated and my brother, Chandler, and I noticed that we weren't seeing our father as often as we used to. Our weekends stopped being the fun filled family outings, and started filling up with chores that we picked up where our father wasn't there to do. Finally, towards the end of summer, our mother sat us down and told us that our father wouldn't be around anymore and that Chandler would have to be the man of the house. He was twelve at the time and he was proud and sad at the same time. I, on the other hand, was indifferent. I was a mama's boy; however I did love my father, and I did miss our occasional moments where we would sit and read classic novels like Animal Farm and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I was resigned to the fact that I would only see him under special circumstances. Plus, I had Miles and Larry, and that was enough for me. Chandler... wasn't as lucky, and in the middle of the the fall semester, he moved on with father.

In the early spring, Larry, Miles and I were a force again and our bond strengthened one fateful day. Larry was skipping school, and I stayed out of P.E because I was coming down with a cold. Miles's lunch money was stolen and when he asked around, the other kids accused me because I wasn't there and I was poor etc. In our forth grade class, nothing escaped the ears of gossipy little girls who all had crushes on my big brother. When he wasn't at school that semester, the rumors flew about how our father had cheated or our father was in jail, or something ridiculous like that. I tried to blow the rumors off, but they hurt. Miles simply brushed the kids off, telling them they were simpletons, etc. He always used bigger words than we understood, and most of the time ended up the butt of a joke or two. This time however, it was my turn to be the receiving end of a very bad joke; at least that's what I thought it was, until the class turned against me. The teacher decided that the only way to settle everything was to have a mock trial, and since we were studying the American Judicial system it seemed fitting. It was an ugly scene, and the first time I ever cried in front of my peers. Why they felt as strongly as they did, I'll never know. It hurt, and left me disillusioned. Suddenly, Miles stood up and yelled an objection and stated his case plainly and clearly. Larry stood up for me as well and they argued with the teacher until she got so fed up that she decided to pay Miles the missing money and ended the trial. That was when I realized, I didn't know Miles as well as I thought.

The three of us spent a lot of time at each others houses, doing homework talking about movies and each others families over the summer and fall months. We spent the most time at Miles's fathers because he had the largest house. That and the fact that my mom swooned every time she came to pick me up. She was constantly reminding me that he looked like an actor that her mother used to go gaga over. I would only shake my head at her, but secretly I would admit that he was very pleasant to look at. It got to the point to where my mom was baking pies and cakes for Miles's father and he would accept them graciously in exchange for small repairs and odd jobs around our house. But as much as my mom turned on the charm, Miles's father was always polite and never made advances. My mom finally resigned to having him as a male friend and a sort of father figure in my life.

Then came the fateful day that would turn everyone's lives around.


	2. In Pieces

I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked into Miles's hospital room. I was pretty sure that Miles wasn't dying, but when I saw him, he looked so small, so fragile, and as pale as the tangle of white sheets and blankets he was lying amongst. I was confused, however, as to why he was in the hospital in the first place, since I couldn't get a straight answer from anyone. All I knew, was he had been trapped in an elevator after an earthquake and someone had shot his father.

Miles was sleeping as I pulled a chair to his bedside. I watched as a pained look came over his pale face and he started to mumble. I rested my hand lightly on his arm as he became restless.

"Miles," I said his name softly so I wouldn't frighten him, when his eyes finally flew open. He stared at me blankly and opened his mouth as if he were going to say something, then closed it again. "Miles, you're in the hospital. Do you... remember anything that happened to you?" I wasn't sure if he was completely aware of the death of his father, and I definitely wasn't going to mention it.

"I remember..." He started, his brow furrowed in concentration. "I-I remember a lot of yelling...a-and a loud noise..." He took a deep breath and raised his hand to run his hand through his hair. His concentration was suddenly focused on his hand and the IV that was stuck in it. "Why...why am I in a hospital?"

"I dunno, Miles." I answered him, honestly. "You've been in here for a couple of days. I've asked around and nobody will tell me anything." I paused and sighed. "I had to practically beg my mom to bring me here. She hates hospitals so much, and I can't say that I'm a big fan either, but we've all been worr-" Miles's cold hand on my arm startled me. I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You're babbling Phoenix. You do that a lot when you are nervous."

I blinked at him. "I...uh... what is babbling? What do you mean?"

A small smile came across his pallid features as he started to tell me what babbling meant. We talked for a while about whatever nine year olds can chat about, until my mother came in and gave her condolences to Miles and the kind of stuff that adults do. I said good-bye to Miles and promised him that I would visit the next day.

"Phoenix," His quiet voice made me pause at the door, wondering if I actually heard him. I turned and looked at him expectantly as he waved me back over.

"Thank you." He said simply when I approached.

"For what?" I asked, tentatively as he rested his hand on mine.

"For being by my side when I awoke. I-I don't think I would've been okay if I had woke alone." That was the first time I had seen that pain in Miles's eyes... _the _very pain that would haunt him for the next eleven years.

* * * * * * * * *

I begged my mom to go back again the next day, and she eventually agreed, saying that she wanted to talk to somebody about what was going to happen to Miles. I thought about that as I rode in silence to the hospital. As far as I knew, Miles had no other relatives other than his father...I tried to imagine what it would be like_..._ not having anyone to fall back on_..._ no mother or father there to take care of me. I shuddered at the thought. Somehow it became one of my biggest fears.

As we were walking to Miles's room, a nurse stopped my mom. She wasn't much taller than her_. _She had soft golden hair and worried brown eyes. I had recognized her as one of the nurses that had come into Miles's room yesterday, to check on him and his IV and everything. She was very sweet, talking with us briefly. She flashed a small smile at me but I noticed there was something in her expression that wasn't right.

"Mrs. Wright," She spoke softly.

"Ms. Wright." My mom corrected her.

"Sorry," The nurse penned something on the paperwork that was held on a clipboard in her hands. "Ms. Wright, I my name is Mariah Miney, I am Miles's nurse, er...I need to speak with you, please, if you don't mind."

"What's wrong with Miles?" I interjected. "Is he alright?"

"Um, yes..." She paused as she lightly touched my hair. "He is alright, I just need to talk to your mom for a moment, okay sweetie?"

I nodded, as she and my mom walked a few feet away. I listened in as best I could as I peered into Miles's room. He was asleep. Three phrases caught my attention as I turned and leaned against the wall to listen closer.

"...doesn't know...father's death." My mom put her hand to her mouth thoughtfully. "...ask that you tell him...good friends...no relatives."

"I'm not so sure..."

I couldn't catch their entire conversation and I wasn't sure if my mom waswilling tobear that kind of responsibility. I love my mother, but she was never emotionally strong. To my surprise however, she agreed.

"Do you understand that Miles will be...well, I'm not sure how he will take the news." My mom continued after she explained to me the conversation she had with Mariah, who was standing in front of Miles's door. Mom was kneeling in front of me, plucking invisible lint and straightening my shirt. I saw that her hands were shaking and I rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I think... as long as we are there and he knows that we will always be there for him, I think it'll all be fine in the end."

"Oh Phoenix," Her hand was warm on my cheek as I saw tears form at the corners of her eyes. "You were always so wise and strong." She took a deep breath and stood up. Closing her eyes briefly, she finally said, "Okay, let's go."

* * * * * * * * *

But it wasn't right, and I should have known that. Miles spent the next day and a half in his hospital room curled in a ball, not talking to anyone, numb to everything around him. No one would let me in to see him, afraid that he would injure me, or worse, himself, somehow. I found that completely silly, but I was ten what was I supposed to know.

In the end, however, they decided to let me see him, being I was his best friend and all. I overheard the sweet blond nurse tell my mom that perhaps my voice would pull him out of his stupor in some way. I walked into Miles's room and hesitated, standing completely motionless, by the door, not knowing what to do or say.

"Go away," His rough voice startled me. I took a step forward.

"Miles I..."

"Go away." He said with a little more force as he sniffed.

"Miles, please, it's me Phoenix." I wasn't sure if he had heard me as the silence lingered heavy in the air for a moment. I opened my mouth to say something else when I saw him slowly roll over. His tiny brow was knitted together in concentration.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. "You should be in school. You shouldn't be here, you shouldn't see me like this." Everything he said came out in a rushed mess of words and I had to strain to hear him as I took another step forward. He suddenly threw the covers over his head. "No! Go away Phoenix, I don't want to see you right now."

"But Miles, please...I-I'm your friend. I want to help you. I want..." I paused. I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. "I miss you. I miss your help in math, I miss sitting with you at recess. I want you back, Miles...please."

"Phoenix," He said from under the blanket. "You have plenty of friends. You don't need me. What about Larry? Go sit with him at recess."

I ran to his bedside and pulled the blanket back. "NO, Miles! I want to sit with you. I like talking to YOU! I like studying with YOU!" He blinked at me and took a deep breath. "Please?" I added quietly.

Suddenly, Miles's whole demeanor changed. His bottom lip started trembling and I saw his eyes start to fill with crystal-like tears. "Phoenix, he's dead." Was all he said as he suddenly sat up and grabbed me in a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around him, hesitantly. I wasn't sure what to do as his little body, which seemed so frail and fragile, shook with violent sobs. He didn't cry when we told him, about his father and I wondered if he had cried at all during the last couple days. He just stared straight ahead, then curled into the ball that I had walked in on.

I spent the next couple hours laying beside him as he mumbled nonsense between sobs. Every time I tried to move, he would just hold onto me tighter, until I explained to him that I had to use the bathroom, and that he should too. He sniffed and looked up at me for a second, then nodded.

I stayed the weekend in Miles's room. Slowlybutsurely_,_ color came back to his face and so did the smile that I remembered, albeit not entirely, but atleast he was smiling. Mariah would come in and talk and laugh with us. My mother, as hesitant as she was to let me spend the night, would tuck us both in and kiss us goodnight.

* * * * * * *

"NO! You cannot go in there..." The pretty blonds voice woke Miles and I on Sunday morning as a strange man burst into Miles's room. I blinked as my sleepy brain tried to comprehend if I knew this man or not.

" I assure you that as Mr. Von Karma's assistant, I do not want any trouble," The man had an accent that was similar to that of Von Karma's ( I had seen him on the evening news a couple times) and was dressed in a gray suit that had faint black pinstripes and seemed to shimmer when he moved. Miles sat up as I propped myself on my elbows. The man turned and his long blond hair was formed into a strange twist and laid on his left side. His bright blue eyes seemed to dance around the room taking in the situation and his expression suddenly turned dark. Miles and I flinched.

"What is going on here?" The man's voiced raised an octave as he pointed at me. "Who is this insolent little boy in here with Miles? This is unacceptable."

Miles shifted and sat in front of me in a defensive position. I had to peer over his shoulder to see anything. He started to say something, when Mariah interrupted him.

"Mr Gavin, that is Miles's best friend. He spent the night to help Miles through his...grieving, sir."

"Miles is going to have to learn to take care of himself in the Von Karma household." The man, Mr Gavin, strode toward me and I shrunk away from him as he grabbed me harshly by the arm. Both Miles and I cried out as Mr. Gavin drug me off the bed and roughly toward the door. Miles was on his heels yelling at him when suddenly a blond boy about our age came running in and grabbed Miles, Holding him back. The Gavin guy dropped me and I landed hard on my bottom.

"Mr. Gavin you cannot just grab people like that, especially children!" The nurse knelt and asked me if I was okay and I nodded, still in a daze.

"Kristoph!" The man yelled and the blond boy stiffened. "Stand aside and let Miles gather his things so we can get out of here."

"What!?" The look on Miles's face was a mixture of anger and fear. I scrambled to my feet.

"YOU aren't taking Miles anywhere!" I pointed my finger at the grey man and yelled when I suddenly felt myself restrained. "Hey!" I cried as I struggled against Kristoph.

"Now, Miles get dressed and..."

"Mr. Gavin, do you have paperwork stating your right to take Miles out of this hospital?" Mariah was now flanked by a man in uniform.

The gray man turned abruptly on his heel to the nurse and produced a small bundle of papers from inside his jacket pocket. He crossed his arms and we all watched tensely as she read the paperwork. It became eerily quiet and I looked over at Miles whose eyes had become watery. The pretty nurse sighed and her expression said a thousand words. I watched as she walked over to Miles and knelt in front of him. He sniffed.

"I-I'm sorry Miles," She brushed his silvery bangs out of his face. "Mr Gavin is here t-to take to to be in Von Karma's care. You are a good kid Miles, I will miss you."

"Enough!" Mr Gavin yelled and everyone flinched as I struggled. "This is completely unprofessional and I will make sure that the proper officials know about your behavior. You can leave." He snapped his fingers at the officer to take her out of the room. The guard gave the nurse an apologetic look as he led her out.


	3. Learning to Fall

I sighed as I leaned against the cool red brick building. It was Thursday in late February and I was waiting for Miles to come out of his class. I hadn't been able to talk to him, except in class and whatever precious time we had between classes. We hadn't been able to figure out a good schedule to walk to school together, since Mr. Gavin deemed it necessary to drive Miles to school himself. Our classes were let out early today and Miles had said something about meeting him afterward, since his ride wouldn't be at the school for quite a while.

I was about to get the answers to all my questions as Miles walked to me, looking deep in thought.

"Hey," I said when he stopped in front of me, mumbling something and counting on his hand, as if he was remembering something. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"I was thinking that we've known each other for over a year and we've never really gone anywhere with each other." Miles commented.

"What do you mean?" I asked as we started walking toward the playground.

"Well, we always go to each others houses, or come here to the playground, but we've never been outside our neighborhood." Miles paused and tapped a finger to his lips thoughtfully. "The Gavins are leaving tomorrow, and we are going to be alone with the nanny until Von Karma comes back from where ever he may be. I'll ask if you can stay over this weekend, maybe Elsinore will take us to the boardwalks or..." His eyes lit up like it was Christmas again. It had been such a longtime since I had last seen that sparkle in his eyes, and in fact, I had never seen it ever since the day his father died. That's when I realized how much I missed it from him. 'Wait a minute, there's something strange with what Miles just said...' I thought. 'Who is this Elsinor? And did he say the Gavins were leaving?'

"Did you hear me, Phoenix?" I realized I dazed off when I saw Miles's hand waving in front of me.

"I certainly did!" We turned in the direction of the voice. Larry Butz was kicking rocks as he made his way toward us. "Did someone say they were going to Disneyland?!"

"What? Disneyland!" I could feel my eyes bulging. "I mean, you want to go to Disneyland, Miles?"

"Well, yeah, kinda..." He said tentatively, and then suddenly ducked his head. It looked like the ground had become the most interesting thing in Mile's world. I looked more carefully at his face, and saw a small patch of pink had appeared across his cheeks. I smiled at him.

"Well, I guess that would be okay. Every single day, my mom has been bugging me about you, asking how you're doing and everything. I think she would probably be more than happy to let me spend the weekend with you."

"Hey!" Larry waved his hands frantically. "Larry, here, guys! Remember me!? I'm not a rock you know. Even if I were, I'm pretty sure rocks would like to go to Disneyland!"

"Yes, Larry, you can come over as well," Miles sighed. I chuckled and sat on the swing that we had wandered toward. Larry and Miles took the other two.

"So, who's Elsinore?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, she is Franziska's older sister. She is fourteen and very smart and very pretty. She's very motherly too. Watches Franny and I with an eagle eye." Miles tapped his finger on his temple near his eye.

"Ooo, Edgey, you're gonna have to introduce us, man!" Larry swooned. "The older chicks dig me!"

"Larry you are ten for crying out loud!" Miles chided him. "There's just no way she would ever be interested in you! You're going to see her tomorrow, so you'd better be on your best behaviour, I tell you."

"You're ten too! Stop acting as if you're thirty, man! You'll get your face covered in wrinkles even before you become an adult!" Larry crossed his arms, looking a little frustrated. I chuckled at first, then noticed that Larry wasn't chuckling with me. That sure was an odd thing to witness.

"Larry, you're pouting. You never pout. What's wrong?"

"I-I feel left out! So much has happened with Miles over the past few months and I have no idea what's going on!"

"I'm sorry, Larry. Yeah, I guess you're right. We really haven't seen you much in the last couple months." Miles reached over to pat Larry on the shoulder.

"S'alright, I'm sorry 'bout your father. I dunno what I would do without my pops."

I was anxiously watching Mile's reaction, ready for him to sprint or just completely break down and cry. I was quite surprised when I saw he did neither, especially since we hadn't really talked about what happened.

"I...thanks, Larry. It's been hard." Miles took a deep breath as he brushed his bangs back off his face. "Having Kristoph at the house helps a little. But Mr. Gavin is kinda tyrannical and I guess Mr. Von Karma is worse, from what I hear from Kristoph and Elsinore."

"Didn't you say that the Gavins were leaving tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yes, they are going back to Germany. I guess Mrs. Gavin is expecting." Miles chuckled. "Kristoph doesn't seem quite happy about it, and I think two-year-old Franny gave him a taste of what's to come. He seems worse for wear."

I shook my head and thought about how much the incident with his father had really matured Miles. I also thought about the ineffable amount of pain he must have been holding inside. We sat and chatted in the warm California sun, until Mr Gavin arrived and Miles waved at us as he ran to the car.

* * *

I was so restless and excited at the prospect of actually spending some quality time with my friends that I rushed back home the next day. My mom laughed at me and ruffled my hair when she greeted me at our front door. We picked up Larry on our way to the Von Karma estate and we punched and laughed at each other until we arrived. The gray stone gate and fence loomed in front of us as Larry and I gaped at it with bug-eyes.

"Holy crap Phoenix," Larry whispered. "I didn't realize that Miles was adopted into money."

"I guess I never realized it either." I blinked as the gate opened and a massive lawn was revealed. It was a dark green that was in contrast with the dark gray of the large estate at the end of the long drive. The estate was lined with pine trees that softly moved under the tender caresses of the slight breeze. I couldn't help but gawk at everything. I looked over and Larry was almost hanging out of his window, getting whiplash at trying to look at everything.

"Wow, that's quite the limo!" My mom exclaimed as we got closer to the mansion. The limo in question was sleek and black and shiny. There was a small, silver "G" on the side close to the small window that was located near the rear of the limo. A lime green Volkswagen Bug was parked behind it with the personalized plates "Miney". Why does that seem familiar, I thought as I jumped out of the car. Larry and I grabbed our backpacks and sleeping bags from the trunk and followed my mom to the large expansive house. We heard stern, loud words coming from the house, when suddenly the front doors were flung open and Kristoph came running out. He paused for a moment and looked at us with watery eyes. He had such a sad look on his face that I was on the verge of saying something, but nothing came out. After a few seconds, he took off again and got into the limo. We looked at each other briefly as the voices became louder and all of a sudden Mr. Gavin appeared at the door, almost running into my mom as she yelped.

"Get out of my way..." He huffed as he started to shove her, but then grabbed her arm. "Who the hell is this rubbish?"

"Mr. Gavin!" An unfamiliar voice yelled from inside the house. I couldn't see who was its owner, since I was too busy glaring at the tall blonde.

"Sir, let go of me before I force you off!" My mom cried.

"Let go of her!" I yelled at the same time. Mr Gavin's eyes narrowed as he glared at my mom then turned his menacing gaze on me, like an hawk about to strike.

"You!" He cried, shoving my mom out of the way. "You're the insolent little boy that was at the hospital with Miles. I'll let you know he will have to learn to take care of himself and not rely on his friends after Manfred comes back. Keep that in mind little boy, because he will make Miles into the greatest prosecutor, just like himself. In other words, perfect. And you will never see or hear from your little... friend anymore. Never again. Do you understand?"

I shivered as Mr. Gavin's icy blue eyes bore into my soul. All I could do was blink as I heard voices and Mr. Gavin walking to the limo.

"Are you alright, Phoenix?" I was suddenly staring into my moms worried brown eyes and nodded slowly at her. She ran her hand through my hair then stood up. That's when I saw Mariah, the pretty blond nurse from the hospital. Miles was standing behind her and a raven haired pretty young girl was standing behind him with a hand on his shoulder. I was so stunned by the elder Gavin's words that I remained frozen to my spot, staring at Miles. I didn't even notice everyone had moved into the house as I just kept on staring at Miles. I just couldn't picture a world without Miles... That was... simply impossible. Yes, that was never going to happen, never. I knew he would never leave me.

"C'mon, Phoenix..." Larry was tugging on my hand and I stumbled forward. "Let's get this sugar-induced, Disneyland filled, cheesy-puff eatin' weekend started!"

"Yeah..." I said distractedly.

"Hi Phoenix!" Mariah smiled her pretty smile and Larry suddenly dropped my arm.

"Hello, miss..." Larry bowed and everyone chuckled. I gave a half grin. "I didn't catch your name, but I am Larry, Sir Larry Butz, at your service madam!"

"Why, thank you Larry!" A small patch of pink covered Mariah's cheeks and Miles and Elsinore showed us to where we would be hanging out that night.

* * *

I found out during dinner that Mariah was in fact the new nanny. Mr. Gavin had reported her at the hospital, and because of their policies, they had to let her go. It was amicable, but she was sad to leave nonetheless. She went on to explain that it was actually her former employer that had set her up with the nanny placement because of the superb way she had with all children in general. They had timed her placement with the departure of the Gavins, but unfortunately she had arrived too early and Mr. Gavin was running late...

That was the fight that Larry and my mom and I walked into. Mariah also mentioned that she had two daughters that were about our age, and that we should all get together at some point. Larry was ecstatic about that and asked where they were staying now. She explained that they stayed with their father on the weekends.

***

It was well after midnight before Larry, Miles and I settled into our sleeping bags and finally fell asleep shortly after.

Two hours later, I was abruptly pulled out of sleep by the sound of a blood curdling scream. I sat straight up and looked around, trying to get my bearings, and forgetting for a moment that I wasn't at my own place. Brushing the matted hair from my face, I looked over and saw that Larry was propped on one elbow, but still half-asleep. Miles however was missing from his spot between us.

"What the heck was that, dude?" Larry asked in a scratchy voice.

"I dunno," I answered as I rubbed my eyes. "I'm going to try to find Miles."

"Huh, he is gone isn't he?" Larry plopped back down onto his back. "Let me know when you find him..." he said, before falling asleep once again.

I shook my head at my sleepy friend and leaned forward to feel around for my backpack. I opened it as soon as I found it, and dug inside for my flashlight. I stood and tested it by sweeping the large bedroom one time. Nothing. But then, I heard heavy breathing and whimpering coming from the closet. I scratched my head in confusion, and two thoughts occurred to me: why hasn't anyone come to check on us? The scream was pretty loud and disturbing though. Also, why on earth was Miles was doing in the closet? I opened the door carefully and saw him curled in a tight ball on top of his shoes in the corner of the closet. I shined the light on him, and saw that he was shaking, but still asleep.

"Miles..." I whispered loudly as I knelt next to him and laid my tiny hand on his shoulder.

"Miles." I said louder and firmer. All of a sudden he gasped, and his eyes abruptly flew open. He stared at me like I wasn't there. "Miles? It's me Phoenix."

He drew in a shaky breath and whimpered. I softly squeezed his shoulder.

"Miles, you were dreaming. But you're okay now." I paused and still no sign of comprehension from him. I was starting to get scared and I shook him gently.

"Ph-Phoenix..." he said, and then, I was suddenly caught in a tight bear hug. Unsure of what else to do, I started rubbing his back.

"It's okay, Miles, it was just a dream," I mumbled into his ear and made shushing noises, like my mom did whenever she was calming me down.

"I-I'm so s-scared, Phoenix."

"Miles..." He let go of me suddenly. I could see his eyes shining in the glow of the flashlight that was now on the floor of the closet. I brushed the hair from his face and he started sobbing. "Miles, please, what's wrong?"

"S-So much..." His words started to be incomprehensible as he buried his head in his hands.

"Miles," I said softly as I wrapped my arms around him and we sat in the closet until his sobs subsided. I helped him back to the sleeping bags in his half asleep state. I vowed not to say anything about this until he was ready to talk.


End file.
